Maiden Cane was formed in the summer of 2013 by bass player Jim Kiefer and guitarist Joey Gilbert. Fusing pieces of 2 bands together, Kiefer and Gilbert’s goal was to create a band of professional, experienced musicians that would excel at recreating the sound, feel and excitement of the arena rock concerts of the 70’s and 80’s. This meant more than just covering classic rock. It meant meticulously covering some of the extremely complex music of the time with surgical precision, and putting on a larger than life stage show, where the band is as incredible to watch as they are to listen to.
With a hard rule of only playing at theaters, larger venues and opening for national touring bands, the newly formed band set out to change the musical landscape of Southwest Florida. Their performances were widely praised and word of mouth spread quickly. It was not long before the band attained a sizeable, loyal following, earning the reputation of being Southwest Florida’s Favorite Arena Rock Band.
Soon after, MC started receiving opportunities to open for national touring bands (such as Night Ranger, Eddie Money, Quiet Riot) and play at well known festivals and higher end venues. which not only served to further the bands reputation and following, but also gave the boys the opportunity to play alongside many of their rock n roll heroes.
Maiden Cane has been going strong for over 10 years, attracting huge crowds, headlining prestigious festivals and events, and even recording original music with tremendous success. While the group has become slightly more selective about show opportunities, they continue to rock as hard as ever with an incomparable, high energy performance, soaring vocals and an uncanny ability to recreate the beloved experience of the huge arena rock show!
Cliff Randi, Lead Vocals
Born and raised in Connecticut, Randi began his music career at age 14 when he picked up the guitar. Soon after, he defaulted to singing as it came much easier. At 18, he was playing in the clubs with some of the last living hair bands in CT and NY. Over the years, he played alongside Richie Scarlett (Frehley’s Comet, Rat Race Choir, Mountain), shared rehearsal space with the band that would eventually become Steelheart, and jammed in Richie Blackmore’s house in Westport, CT. Eventually, grunge music took over and Randi found himself walking away from the scene. He spent many years with a successful wedding band, which served to diversify his voice and expand his stage presence. In 2008, Randi returned to his rock roots, joining an arena rock style band called the MixCT with veteran keyboardist Ed Burns (Dennis Dunaway Project, Sapphire). In 2013, Randi and his family relocated to FL for financial reasons. Thanks to a post on Bandmix, Randi was given the opportunity to join Maiden Cane one week before opening for Warrant at the Englewood Event Center.
Joey Gilbert, Lead Guitar
Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, Gilbert started his musical career in 1985 as a bass player in the High School Jazz band. It was not long before he made the switch to guitar. Eventually, he relocated to southwest Florida where he played all over the state with Wicked Gypsy. They were inches away from a record deal but circumstances within the band prevented the final signing. A few years later, Gilbert was tapped by Sam Andrew (founding member of Big Brother and the Holding Company) to tour with the Sam Andrew Band. In 2012, Gilbert attended the Monsters of Rock Cruise where he beat out hundreds of other guitarists and was crowned Guitar God Champion by guitar legends Vinnie Moore (UFO) and Jeff Labar (Cinderella). In 2013, Gilbert was playing with his local band, Shoestring Rocket, when he met Jim Kiefer, and the two began discussing plans for the band that would become Maiden Cane.